Science Helpline - Celebrities

The Register has a good article about a Science Helpline for Hyper political but Scientifically deficient Celebs.

I thought it was pretty funny when they fell into their own trap at the end. It seems they were uncomfortable with the facts about nuclear power (which I read and are very accurate and somewhat pedestrian if you know the real science) and felt the need to try to debunk the very site they were plugging at the end.

It is kind of sad when people turn beliefs into pseudo Science and Pseudo Religion. Science allows for things to be proven wrong.

I provided a lot of links in my last post on global warming.

I am going to make a statement now that will probably irritate some.

Global warming is a fact.

Now hold on a second. Don't start labeling me as a political operative.

Stating that it is a fact does not mean it is a true fact. It simply means that it is possible to prove it wrong. (it is almost never possible to prove something true)

Facts grow in strength based on surviving attempts to disprove them. There have been many many attempts to disprove global warming. Many of the sub facts have been disproven but many others have stood. The argument is far from decided.

I am not a climatologist or geologist so I am no where near qualified to weigh all of the smaller facts in this.

It is interesting (and sad) that like the nuclear discussion this has reached the dogmatic stage where each side feels as if it must silence the other.

It is irresponsible for politicians to call for an end to the discussion and threaten financial ramifications. It is just as irresponsible for large corporations to obfuscate facts that are contrary to their side of the argument.

Nuclear power has been at this dogmatic stage for a while. Long enough that certain positions are trust cues for inclusion in many political groups.

My advice to politicians, reporters and pundits is engage in the discussion make your opinions known but don't try to use external pressure to change the science and don't disregard facts (true or not) just because they are counter to your preexisting meme structure.